To Kai On Benny: Dimensional Civilization Archeology Project 2.0

Date
May 25, 2022 – May 29, 2022
Location
Art Basel Hong Kong
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai

Para Site is excited to present a solo exhibition by To Kai On Benny, ‘Dimensional Civilization Archeology Project 2.0’, at Art Basel Hong Kong 2022.

The exhibition is the sequel to To’s ‘Dimensional Civilization Archeology Project’ and stems from the artist’s interest in anime and manga, in which he has noticed references to and inspirations from ancient mythology and religions. As a result, many of the works on view are based on characters and action figures from anime and video games, deconstructed and reconstructed through pottery techniques by the artist to resemble archaeological artefacts.

A newly commissioned work for this exhibition extends beyond tangible mediums in the form of an 8-bit video game that invites the audience to experience the artist’s worldview as characters within the game. Visitors are invited to carry out virtual archaeological excavations, while objects in the game also have their physical counterparts in the exhibition. The exhibition is curated by Celia Ho and Kobe Ko.

During the exhibition, the artist will be onsite at the following times. Feel free to drop by, say hi, and have a chat.

  • Wed, 25 May, 1–7pm
  • Thu, 26 May, 3–7pm
  • Fri, 27 May, 3–7pm
  • Sun, 29 May, 2–6pm

About the artist

To Kai On Benny (b. 1994, Hong Kong) graduated from The RMIT with a BA in ceramics in 2021. Drawing his inspiration from artefacts from prehistoric and early civilisations, he selects pop culture materials from sci-fi animations and movies in order to make characters and props from these stories into forged historical relics. Combining ready-made plastic toys and traditional techniques of ceramics (a medium used in ancient times that are revered for their historical significance) to emulate the modern industrial mass manufacturing, he imitates prehistoric people’s ways of transforming wishes and fantasies into decorative motifs, conveying a modern worldview through his works. He aims to record the collective spiritual quality of modern life and encourage the viewer to reimagine the relationship between history, religion, and popular culture. Creating hypothetical archaeology through fictional cultural relics, he allows viewers to look at contemporary society from the perspective of future generations, and to observe the continuity of our civilisation’s past, present, and future.

Para Site is a Cultural Partner of Art Basel Hong Kong.

The exhibition is generously supported by Chloe Chiu, Christopher K. Ho, Alan Lau, and Joshua H. Smith.

Installation Views